Banca Intesa, a member of the international banking group Intesa Sanpaolo, is introducing mini bonds to the Serbian market, opening up new opportunities for financing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as the key segment of the economy while also contributing to the further development of the domestic capital market.

As the arranger and sponsor of individual mini bond issues, Banca Intesa will provide an alternative source of financing for SMEs that want to diversify their sources of capital and access funds for development and growth through the capital market without relying solely on traditional forms of borrowing. This innovative method of financing further strengthens the bank's position as the market leader and represents an important step forward in the development and diversification of the country's financial ecosystem.

"This is a strong message of confidence in our clients and in the future of the Serbian economy. With this innovative financial instrument, we want to further improve the availability of financing for SMEs and support their investment plans, contribute to strengthening the competitiveness, sustainability and resilience of the economy, and encourage further development of the domestic capital market", said Darko Popović, President of Banca Intesa Executive Board.

The introduction of mini bonds in the Serbian market is part of Intesa Sanpaolo's Minibond initiative and Banca Intesa's broader strategy aimed at supporting sustainable economic growth.

“After the remarkable success of mini bonds in Italy, we are bringing this innovative financing solution to companies across the CEE region. Early results are promising: in Croatia alone, we placed EUR 60 million in just six months. Now, we are expanding the initiative to Serbia and Slovakia. Our goal is clear—to empower SMEs with simpler, faster access to capital markets, enabling them to execute on their growth and transformation projects, while upholding high standards of risk analysis and risk management,” said Giuseppe Ferraro, Head of Corporate, SME and Small Business at Intesa Sanpaolo’s International Banks Division.